Black Birdcage
by Playgirl Eugene
Summary: To know limits is to be inside a black birdcage…


**BLACK BIRDCAGE**

_Written by Playgirl Eugene_

**Author's Note :** This is my first attempt in _Vampire Knight_ fandom, do forgive me if you didn't find it good enough or if there's any typos and grammar errors (which will be there, I assure you) please tell me and I really appreciate constructive advices and reviews. I did the beta-reading myself, and I'll tell you this, even though English is my first spoken language, it's not exactly my first written one. The title is inspired by Kanon Wakeshima's _Kuroi Torikago_.

**Standard Disclaimer :** The Vampire Knight and all of the characters, including the original plot and situations, is created and owned by Hino Matsuri-sensei. I own nothing of it and I do not earn profit of any kind from this and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This disclaimer stands firm for the whole of the story. Furthermore, if I use any material that needs to be disclaimed, there will be individual credit where due.

**Summary :** To know limits is to be inside a black birdcage…

**Rating :** M/NC - R/18

**Warning(s) :** Slash/yaoi/male x male, violence, blood, cussing, non-descriptive dub-consensual, non-consensual blood drinking. If any of the aforementioned warnings offends you, I suggest you turn back now. I will not appreciate anyone flaming me just because they didn't read this.

**Setting and Timeline :** Utterly AU and has absolutely no connection with the cannon except for the borrowed characters and faint similarities of their original relationship in the Vampire Knight.

**Character Setting :** None in particular.

**Chapter Details :** None in particular.

* * *

- Prologue -

"_The outcasts?"_

* * *

With unnatural speed, even for a vampire, Kuran Haruka made a beeline for his mansion. He had been sitting in his office not a few minutes ago, going through a tedious amount of paperwork and mounting documents that needed his revision and signature, with a delicate china cup of coffee balanced near the edge of the cherry oak desk in his study, when a Level B a panic-stricken officer barged into his office.

Haruka was a gentle, easy-going man, but in the face of certain matter, his attention snapped into place like a taut bamboo. The messenger nearly floundered on the floor as he told the Head of Kuran that his son and his comrade, Kain Akatsuki, had been gravely injured and was now tended at his mansion.

Like he was electrocuted, Haruka had sprung to his feet, toppling his chair and knocking two neat piles of paperwork to land in a scattered mess across the carpeted floor with his sudden movement.

"_What?"_ had been the only thing that came to mind. He had ignored the flinch and fear that fleeted the messenger's face at the feral growl he emitted and the sudden red that bleed the dark brown of his irises.

Apparently, Kaname and Akatsuki were heading for the neighbouring town when they were ambushed by a group of vagabond Level Es. That hadn't been too bad, until their real aggressors appeared: a group of masked vampires, as the sources claimed. Despite their aptitude in combat, their foes were unexpectedly strong. He damned his son's inexplicable need for privacy. Haruka knew he should've shoved the bodyguards towards his obstinate son. Damn that stubborn streak, which was so much like his own, much to his dismay.

As Haruka pushed the heavy double door leading to the main hall with a bang, he could make out a throng of nobles gathering there. They parted when they saw the pureblood's arrival. The moment he stepped into the room, he suddenly found his arms full of a sobbing Juuri. Patting her back comfortingly, Haruka murmured some words of comfort before heading for the chamber used as emergency operating room.

When he entered the room, the Healers looked up and turned to him but he ignored them. His eyes immediately fell on the prone form of Kaname. Never in his ancient life as a vampire had he seen a more devastating scene. He had gone through many battles himself, bloodied or otherwise, but seeing his proud son looking so pale and battered, on the verge of _dyin__g,_ it was almost too overwhelming.

The lead healer, Aidou Kureha, wordlessly guided him out of the chamber with a sombre look etched on his elegant face and closed the door behind them.

Haruka immediately regarded him, "Prognosis?"

Aidou Kureha stiffened visibly and lowered his eyes, avoiding that of Haruka's. "It's difficult to say. Kaname-sama has been poisoned, but that's the extent of what we know for now. We're not sure about the symptoms. He has three broken bones and suffered a blow on the head," the noble said quietly, "Akatsuki suffered a heavy damage on his posterior spinal artery and basilar artery, at least six broken ribs, and two of the broken bones pierced his lungs; the list simply grew." Kureha looked just as ill and restless as he shot his nephew a withering look, "Things do not look so good to be honest. I wish we could do more, but…"

Haruka let out a frustrated sigh and anxiously ran his hands through his dark brown locks. It was a gesture of restlessness and while he wouldn't show even a sign of weakness in front of his subjects before, but this was his _so__n._ It was within his right to feel agitated.

"Is there really-?"

Kureha shook his head slowly, not wanting to give false hope and closed his blue eyes. He had to admit that even for vampire's standards, the injuries that the two suffered were far too extensive. He wasn't sure whether they would make through tonight, but he didn't know how to break it to the parents: his sister's family and the Kuran family.

_Now what__,_ Haruka thought, hating the feeling of helplessness, _there must be something we can do. There has to be._

Just then, one soft voice from the crowd of vampires spoke, breaking the prolonged silence and his clear, gentle voice cut through tension that was hanging thick and ominous in the room.

"If you'd pardon my insolence, Haruka-sama…"

All eyes turned to a slender young vampire with blond hair and wide, intelligent green eyes. Haruka recognized him immediately. "You are Takuma from the Ichijou clan, am I right?"

"Yes, my lord." Takuma murmured with a rather stiff smile on his lips as he bowed respectfully, only to have Haruka impatiently dismissing formalities between them.

While Haruka had never actually met the boy, which was rather strange considering that the Ichijou child was his son's right hand man, but it was widely known that Ichijou Takuma was the polar opposite of his ambitious grandfather. He was gentle, mild-tempered, and implacably calm. But the blond now looked apprehensive, almost nervous under the sudden scrutiny.

Noticing his discomfort, Haruka nodded his head and signalled him to come forward. "You may speak."

Takuma's gaze looked unsure, even as he answered his question. "I've heard… rumours about the outcasts…"

Like a switch, the mere mention of the 'outcasts' ignited a flurry of harsh whispering throughout the room. Haruka simply furrowed his sculpted eyebrows together, looking contemplatively at the younger vampire.

"The outcasts?"

Takuma nodded in confirmation. "They said that the older one of the brothers is very knowledgeable and skilled in the art of healing and medicine. They said…" Takuma faltered, his voice coming to a pause before his eyes hardened with resolve as he shook his head and raised it again. His voice held more conviction than before. "They said that his blood has amazing healing properties can neutralized almost all kinds of poison."

His words triggered an explosive chain of reaction from other vampires, from outraged gasps to indignant squeals.

"Preposterous!" screeched one of the nobles with barely concealed disgust, "Are you suggesting that we allow the filthy Level Es into the Kuran Mansion?"

"Feeding Kaname-sama with a Level E's blood!" came a scandalized voice from his right, "Are you out of your mind, _boy_?"

"They are not Level Es!" Takuma cried defensively as he fixed an uncharacteristically passionate glare at the nobles, a frown marring his face. "They might be ex-humans, but they have yet to descend to monsters!"

"Bah, it makes no difference! It's only a matter of time before they plunged into insanity!"

"But he might be able to help Kaname!" Takuma reasoned, his voice verging on the delicate balance of urgency and exasperation. He hardly bothered with good manners anymore. "Surely Kaname's life come first than the clan's pride!"

Haruka inwardly agreed. This was no time to debate over their petty superiority complex. Steeling his resolve, Haruka narrowed his eyes on the nobles. "If they can actually do _something_ to save my heir other than squabbling like a bunch of retards, so be it!"

"B-but Haruka-sama, surely you must reconsider… _the __outcasts__,_ sire? They are nothing but bad omen!" one of the men spoke meekly, cringing as he voiced out the very thought of several scandalized looking nobles.

"Do I look like I care?" Haruka snapped as blood began to bleed in his eyes, "My son is dying in there and my wife is on the verge of breaking down! I want someone to do _something__!_ I want the two orphans before me now!"

When no one made a move, Haruka nearly tore his lower lip with his elongated fangs in order to keep his temper in check. "Must I repeat myself?" Haruka snarled, baring his fangs at his guards. He didn't have the time or patience to tolerate their incompetence today out of all day. "I said _bring them to me at once__."_

"Y-yes! At once, sire!"

The two men jumped on their feet at the gleam in Kaname's eyes and scurried out of the room, intent on avoiding the pureblood's wrath. If there was anything as impressive as Kuran Kaname's Thrall, it would be his _temper__._

"… Ichijou Takuma-kun," Haruka suddenly spoke without taking his eyes off the closed doors behind him, where his dying son was.

"Yes, Haruka-sama?"

"Go with them. Make sure that they don't do anything… foolish, and see that the siblings arrive here _unscathed__."_

Takuma smiled and bowed, "Certainly, my lord." Takuma turned and darted out of the room using his vampiric speed after the two men. Despite his airheaded and laidback appearance, Kuran Haruka was anything but an idiot. He knew firsthand how prejudice and underhanded some vampires were when it came to the lower bloods.

For the next ten minutes that felt longer than some of his years, each second passed almost too long. Haruka was getting restless, finding himself unable to comfort his wife in his own anxiety. He knew that he was not the only one, but he was also aware of that he was one of the only few whose worries were placed on the two unconscious vampires. Not that the rest of the nobles were not, but theirs were more about losing 'young heirs' having two 'unworthy' bloods entering their domain and tainting it.

Haruka felt even more exhausted when he thought about it. He didn't even want to think about what would happen when this was all over. Just at that moment, he heard the front gate being opened and immediately stood up. All eyes were now on the two wary looking guards that he sent out earlier, the blond haired Ichijou, and a pair of silver haired teenagers dressed in plain looking yukatas was following quietly behind Takuma.

The nobles eyed the two with thinly disguised ire, unhidden disgust, and mockery. Some viewed them with perplexed curiosity like how one would bestow on a rare animal or circus show.

With their unusual silver hair and lilac eyes, it wasn't hard to trace back their ancestral. It was widely known in their realm that the orphaned twins were the last descendants from the line of Kiryuu, seasoned hunters by birth and natural enemies to the vampire race. Being twins from such an excellent lineage, they were considered as threats to vampires.

After the war ended, the hunters and vampires alike opted for a neutral ground after they decided that the damage on both sides could not remain ignored any longer, thus they took on avoiding the other and took notice not to trespass each of their lands. It lasted for a few hundred years, until one day Hiou Shizuka, a pureblood and the supposed fiancée of Kuran Ridou, reappeared after gone missing for decades. Along with her were two children, formerly humans now the most condemned of vampires.

It had caused a riot then, as Shizuka's impulsive act of revenge on the Kiryuu was bound to revoke the tentative truce that kept the peace between the two races. After months of long, tiring negotiations with the Hunters Association, they finally came to an agreement. With no little effort from the Head Hunter, they settled for Hiou Shizuka's life and in return, the two children shall be let into the land of the vampires, protected and unbothered. They shall also be given the proper amount of higher blood to sustain their sanity and prevent them from descending to Level E. While the vampires were hesitant to comply, they had no choice since the truce was revoked by a pureblood.

For so long, the siblings had lived quietly and inconspicuously at the outskirt of the Kuran's district. Not a human, not a vampire, they lived rejected by both races. The older one, Zero as they called him, had kept his younger twin out of sight and was somehow successful in getting rid of curious, hostile attention. It took a few years, but soon the vampires grew used to their presence and had since then ignored them most of the time. The fact that they were ex-humans and therefore susceptible to the higher blood's harassment of various kinds had not escaped Haruka.

The one with longer hair wearing moss green and brown yukata slunk behind his brother, wanting to be spared of the merciless stares. He was carrying an animal skin carrier bag slung on his thin shoulder. With visibly trembling fist, he clutched on his brother's coat and ducked his head, trying to somehow hide and disappear behind the older twin. Sensing and feeling fully aware of his discomfort, the other shifted and positioned his body as if to shield the petrified teen.

This was the first time that Haruka had ever actually seen the two outcasts and had it been under less dire and urgent circumstances, they would've intrigued his interest. Surprisingly, or not, the Kiryuu siblings were quite beautiful, if not rather exceedingly so for a pair of supposed ex-humans. Their builds were eerily delicate, to a point where their beauty almost felt unnatural.

He dimly recalled the flying rumours that had been circulating among the vampires for the last couple of years about a few hunter clans possessing arcane beauty that was uncommon for mortals. Some believed that they bathed in the blood of the vampires they hunted to gain immortality, youth, and power. Others believed that it was simply a defect to their genes, ironically similar to the vampires.

"You summoned for me, Kuran-sama?" Zero said stiffly, irritation evident in his voice. His tone was as frosty as his pale colouring, and despite the bow he gave, Haruka could _trace_ the rebelliousness screamed in his every move. Had Haruka been expecting to see a meek, nervous human boy, he would've been severely disappointed. Standing there, in the midst of nobles and high-blooded vampires, he didn't look even the least intimidated.

'_Interesting child…'_

Despite being twins, the two siblings were easily distinguished. The older one, Zero, had unkempt silver hair trimmed just short enough to tentatively curl into against the nape of his slender neck and longish bangs that spilled over a pair of chilling dusky purple eyes. Strangely enough, his complexion was pale compared to even vampires, to a point where he appeared more translucent than Souen Ruka, the prided beauty of Souen clan. He carried himself with grave solemnity and jaded calm that betrayed his age. There was rage behind those eyes, enhanced by the slate bluish grey and black yukata that he wore.

The shy and frail looking boy behind him must have been the younger one, the one that was said to be sickly. He had slightly thinner build, and his skin was just as fair as his brother's.

With such outlandish beauty and colouring, it made perfect sense to him now why some people never gave up trying to sell the siblings to slave markets, brothels, and human auctions. They would fetch quite a hefty price, especially since they possessed both the hunter's lineage and vampire's blood. Their rare abilities as hunters would be priceless as slaves and soldiers. If not, their vampiric healing ability would make them hard selling commodities in the sexual servitude, especially among the indulgers of painful sex.

Thinking about it caused Haruka's stomach to churn. He had a son and a daughter their age, and to think that there were people out there who treated children like that made him nauseous.

"Yes, I have heard that you are of possession to some… considerable healing techniques, and I am in need of your expertise." Haruka spoke, his tone clean-cut and professional. He wasn't one to spend his time with pleasantries when his son's life was on the line. The human before him didn't seem like one who would be courteous enough to entertain formalities after what he had been through with the vampires either. "My son and his comrade were attacked when they ventured outside the district a couple of hours ago. They are now in critical conditions and seem to be getting worse with the passing second. The medics had tried their best, but their effort was to no avail. I am at complete lost and in desperate need for your help, as I've heard that you are skilled in this field. I am willing to pay you the appropriate amount for your service."

Zero raised an eyebrow. So he was called as the last resort to save the precious heir of the Kuran and Kain clans. Had he been placed under different circumstances, Zero would've rolled over and died of vindictive glee. How the mighty had fallen indeed. The esteemed head of the Kuran had been reduced to asking an ex-human, an outcast, like him to save his heir.

'_How…__ wonderfully __ironic…'_

Well, if he could, he would rather not have anything to do with these blood sucking bastards. They were bad news, as always. But if he refused, he was sure that neither he nor Ichiru would make it pass that door behind them, at least unscathed. The very same applied should he fail in this task thrust into his unwilling hands by the lord of the bastards himself.

'_As always, they're an annoying bunch of snobby, self-centred bastards.'_

Hiding his morbid mirth, Zero simply grimaced and nodded curtly. "Very well, then. Lead me to them."

Haruka frowned. While he had been expecting some form of refusal and persuasion on his part, he hadn't exactly been expecting such a flippant response. The boy was surprisingly docile, if he had to say it. But that unexpectedly dismissive attitude somehow disturbed him as he caught the passing look of disdain on Zero's face, but it was gone before he could understand the meaning.

"Only they are to be your primary concern; the child of the Kuran and the child of Kain." Haruka led him into the room, and Zero cast a quick but through look at the two injured men. Behind him, Ichiru titled his head curiously at the unconscious vampires as he tugged on his brother's sleeve.

Zero turned to Haruka, his expression betraying nothing. "How and when were they attacked? I will need the exact details."

As Kureha elaborated the details of their condition since they were brought in three hours ago, the medical team's presumptions, and some general points, Zero wedged between the futons where Kaname and Akatsuki were laid side by side. He lowered his body until one of his knees touched the ground beside Kaname's futon as his right hand pulled on his sleeve of his left. He pressed his fore and middle finger against a vein on the side of Kaname's neck.

Haruka and Kureha watched the boy's every move: the quiet, indistinct movement of his lips, the hairbreadth narrowing and widening of his unexpectedly expressive eyes, and the thoughtful frown on his lips.

"Irregular breathing, blue-tinged fingertips." Zero's pale fingers trailed to Kaname's lips, ignoring the pained gasp the soft touch elicited. "He vomited too. His lips dry, dilating pupils, slowing heartbeat…" His eyes narrowed and hardened as he finally gathered a conclusion. "He's been poisoned with a lethal dose of diluted liquid silver,"

"Liquid silver?" Haruka echoed with furrowed eyebrows, a troubled look etching on his handsome face. Although the human's perception of vampires were mostly false and exaggerated, but it was true that silver was as potent as any venom, if not more to vampires.

Usually only _hunters_ used liquefied silver to subdue vampires as it was extremely difficult to concoct. Was there a mutiny he was not aware of, a breach of treaty? Things like that happened from time to time, but a direct attack to a pureblood was unheard of.

"For vampires, the properties of liquid silver served like nerve coagulant that slowly restricts the blood flow by blocking the dorsal aorta, the superior vena cava, and the pulmonary artery."

Kureha was impressed. The boy managed to gather so much information in such sort amount of time and came to a clear prognosis. The symptoms of liquid silver poisoning were rare since it was not made an official study these days for there hadn't been a need or case of one in five-hundred years. There was no telling to what effect it might have on a pureblood.

The ex-human then shifted his body slightly and turned to Akatsuki and inspected him, considerably faster than Kaname. "He's not poisoned, but sustains more physical damage than the other." Zero looked thoughtful for a minute before he turned to Haruka and spoke in a professionally cool voice, "I will attend to both of them at the same time."

The admittedly brazen statement elicited surprised gasps and indignant whispers from the vampires crowding the corridor. Kureha stared at the younger vampire shrewdly, slightly annoyed and more curious with the seemingly confident healer. The state of the two injured vampires was enough to discourage any healer worth his blood, and if this ex-human was really as skilled as they said he was, Kureha wasn't sure whether the boy was really _that_ good or he was simply bluffing.

Zero produced a pair of hypodermic needles from his sleeve, causing Haruka to wonder how the boy hid those needles on his body and did he bring them everywhere, Zero then moved to hover above Kaname, almost straddling the unconscious brunet vampire, and pushed away the loose cloth covering his heaving chest. Haruka watched as Zero quietly muttered a spell, possibly a flame one to heat the tip of the needle.

His eyes, followed by his fingers, travelled the expanse of the plane with calm assessing gaze before he raised each needle and speared them on Kaname's skin, causing Kaname to convulse violently and cried out in pain. Several nobles, including Kureha himself, immediately fell into defensive stances, ready to attack should Zero did anything to the pureblood. But Haruka simply stared in fascination as Zero pulled away and Kaname's breathing slowed as his thrashing ceased. Almost immediately, thick, black substance dribbled slowly, but steadily from the tip of the needles.

Kureha dropped his stance and his eyes narrowed with interest as he noticed silvery streaks like strings moulded with the inky liquid.

"Is that…?"

"The silver still had yet to reach far, but the damage is already done. This substance is the contaminated blood. The property of the silver will only react once assimilated with blood. You see the strings here?" Zero said, pointing the strings of silver, "They still had yet to corrode the main vessels. He is very lucky that is had not reached his vital arteries."

Zero then turned to Haruka, catching the sight of a horrified Juuri staring at the scene with wide eyes.

"That's the…?" she asked in a horrified whisper. To even think about how that venom was coursing inside her son's body had her stomach turning in discomfort.

Zero nodded absently. "I was able to purge most of them from his system and some blood transplant might be able to neutralize the remaining poison,"

Haruka heaved a relieved breath he didn't realize he had been holding, but Juuri was the one who saw it coming. "But?" she asked, swollen eyed and tense. Haruka turned to his wife with a startled expression on his face.

"_But_ the poison had been circulating in his body for too long." Zero continued, eyeing the brunet through his peripheral vision before turning back to the pureblood couple. "It already did extensive damage to his internal organs and circulation system. Everything depends solely on his will to live from here on. If he's able to pass this stage of purging, then he'll live."

'If not' hung heavily, unspoken but clear.

"So, we can't do anything?" Haruka was getting desperate. The notion of losing his only son was paralyzing his nerves once more. There was a good reason why there were so few purebloods around, one of them being the difficulty for bearers to conceive, thus the reason why his children were so precious to him.

"I didn't say that." Zero said with an almost annoyed look at Haruka, "I _will_ do what I can. However, the procedure is risky and while there's a good chance to save him, there's also a chance of losing him."

Juuri's abrupt wrecked sobs sounded strangled. Haruka forced himself to remain calm as he grasped Juuri's hand and delivered the question. "W-what are the chances?"

Zero shrugged his shoulders almost carelessly; his body language spoke of no particular concern about the young pureblood's well being more than he should. "I won't say it fifty-fifty…" He paused, "Maybe sixty-forty, or something like that. Just note that, even if it's only one percent, _anything_ can go wrong."

Haruka clenched both of his hands, trying to stand firm on his feet despite the flurry of emotions wrecking his body. He sank his fangs into his lower lips, abusing them slightly in his agitation. He was a lord, for Heaven's sake, and he was the Head of Kuran. He must not appear weak even though that was his _son_ struggling for life in there. More so now than ever, he must preserve his composure. His wife though, could care less about her appearance and had collapsed to her knees in despaired, uncontrolled sobs.

"Make your decision now. We can't afford to waste anymore time,"

The answer was obvious to him. "Do it!" Haruka muttered stiffly, curling his fingers and clenching his hands tightly; his voice holding more conviction than what he really felt.

"Very well," Zero then stood and gave a hand wave to his younger brother, who immediately nodded and ambled closer to the older Kiryuu as Zero made a move to stand. Ichiru placed the bag on the floor before he produced a piece of parchment and sharpened quill and handed them over to Zero, who then started to write in neat, sharp letters. He paused for a second before adding something to what seemed to be a list.

"I need someone to collect the herbs written here within half an hour. Sterilize the necessary equipments and prepare at least ten basins of boiling water, ice, sake, and clean towels. I need four men," Zero stated in a clean-cut tone whilst holding the parchment in front of him to no one in particular.

While no one made a move, stunned momentarily by his authority, Zero simply raised an eyebrow. Oh, he had all the time in the world alright. But if the bastards actually wanted their lord's son to survive the night, he would personally suggest them to move a little faster. Haruka was the first to recover and practically barked for them to do as Zero had instructed.

Zero then regarded the other vampires with a blank, unreadable expression. "No one is to enter without my permission. My brother will be the one to give you further instructions should I need anything. Other than that, well, _stay the fuck out__."_

Had the situation been any less grave, Haruka would've been amused by the ex-human's unabashed manner. He was commanding high blooded vampires as if he had done so every day. His orders were succinct and direct. His voice, though cold and harsh, suggested self-confidence, and it somehow assured Haruka that this young ex-human might be able to do _something_ to help Kaname and Akatsuki.

Obviously, his sentiment wasn't shared by the others as they snarled at Zero. Several people opened their mouths as if they wanted to protest with an indignant scoff, while others appeared to be apprehensive but a nod of approval from Haruka and the withering glare he sent their ways immediately subdued any possible objection.

Zero's lips curled in a humourless smirk as he saw how the nobles folded their tails between their legs like good little puppies before the pureblood. How… cute. "As I said, _no one_ is to interfere until I come out of that room. No matter what they heard, they are not to enter. Even the slightest distraction _will_ impose immediate danger on their lives and I will not be held responsible if it happens. Do I make myself clear?"

In reply, he received reluctant nods and unwilling grunts. Inwardly smirking with almost vicious vindictiveness, Zero secretly relished the feel of authority he momentarily held over the pompous upper-crust vampires. In his opinion, they were a bunch of stuck-up snobs, who needed to be knocked down a peg or ten. He made sure that it was a bruising blow to their ego.

Zero nodded and turned to face the group of flustered medics. His eyes narrowed as he scanned through them before his gaze fell upon Kureha. Zero pointed a finger at him, and said, "You, come with me."

For a moment, the blond noble blooded vampire looked as if he wanted to snarl at the blatant lack of respect. The brat was just a Level D, for Heaven's sake. But then again, this particular Level D might be their only hope of saving a pureblood, the son of his lord and friend, and _his_ nephew.

Zero already turned on his feet when he felt a pair of hands grabbing his arm from behind and jumped back, consciously fighting his hunter's instinct to disarm his unexpected aggressor. He could not afford to be careless; one wrong move and that was all the vampires need to pounce. He swivelled, slightly wide-eyed, only to find Juuri's tearful eyes staring at him pleadingly.

"Please, please safe him. S-save my son… I beg you, please…" Juuri whispered brokenly as she lowered her head, as submissive as a pureblood of her calibre could, and tightened her fingers around his arm like a vice.

Zero was surprised; a pureblood actually lowered herself to plead with an ex-human. So she was a mother before she was a pureblood after all. Zero suddenly found the weight of his task doubled.

_Mother,_the ex-human was suddenly reminded of his own mother, but he shook his head quietly and closed his eyes, willing himself to banish the thought. He stared into Juuri's eyes and whispered, only for her ears, "I will." Then, he vanished into the room.

When Kureha was about to enter the room, he caught Haruka's silently pleading eyes and swallowed a heavy lump that suddenly clogged his throat. He nodded sombrely at his friend, returning the plea with a shaky promise and followed Zero into the room with four men, as the ex-human had requested, and closed the door with an ominous _thud__._

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

Zero once again knelt between the two injured vampires as Ichiru sat beside Akatsuki's futon to clean and stitch the many wounds covering the vampire's body with surprising adeptness. Out of the ten prepared basin of warm water, six were already tinted red with blood. When the herbs arrived, Ichiru and Zero quickly worked the wounds with the help of Kureha, who appraised the neat and immaculate work of the siblings.

Ichiru dealt with external injuries well, although not quite as skilled as Zero. But Kureha was taken aback with Zero's boldness. He had drenched his hands with disinfectant and ice water before he performed emergency measures of stitching the Akatsuki's internal wounds and performing several well-placed charms on while keeping an eye on Kaname and maintaining his condition with delicate precision as he used an unfamiliar charm on the brunet's feverish body to maintain optimal temperature for cryonic preservation with awing finesse and level of control. Kureha knew how difficult it was to perform with such mastery; his son was an ice user after all.

Kureha wasn't sure how much time had come to pass, but after five strenuous hours passed, he could see that exhaustion was dawning on Zero as he tended on Kaname and Akatsuki with amazing concentration and balanced attention, but the boy didn't show any indication other than the thin sheen of sweat covering his skin and the way he closed his eyes every now and then. Another two hours passed before Zero finally told Ichiru to use a few charms to enclose Akatsuki's wounds and turned fully to Kaname.

Zero swiftly instructed the four men to surround Kaname, each holding his arms and legs against the floor before he moved to straddle the man again like before. "Be sure to hold him down, and don't give even an inch. The moment I begin, he _will_ try to move."

Supposedly, purebloods had an extreme tolerance for pain. But still, Zero knew that this wouldn't be just _painful_. If it wasn't for the fact that the poison needed to be removed from as his body as soon as possible, Zero wouldn't have resorted to this method.

He loathed vampires, as it was his natural instinct and because his life was ruined by a pureblood, but he was not a cruel person and he knew that this pain have some people preferring death rather than to go through it. The tear streaked look on that pureblood woman's face would haunt him. At that moment, she was just a mother, one who desperate for her son to live.

The four men nodded stiffly, glancing warily at their young master's shivering form. Zero adeptly strapped Kaname's arms and legs. He slowly plucked the needles and stashed them on a clean towel he had splayed beside the futon. He picked an unused flick blade, burned the steel against the candle fire that he had requested, and bared his left wrist, pressing the sharp, biting edge of the blade firmly against his skin. He glanced at the vampires in the room as warning. It was necessary, Zero thought.

Kureha nodded in understanding, but couldn't help the fact that his irises bleed red at the sweet scent of blood that flooded the whole room. Ex-humans' blood were not supposed to smell so good. The four helpers fidgeted as well, although they significantly appeared to have more troubles of controlling themselves next to Kureha.

Zero ignored them and pressed his own wrist to his mouth to take a mouthful. Raising a hand and pressing the palm flat against the broad, finely chiselled chest right above the heart, Zero closed his eyes and focussed on Kaname, trying to block out everything else. He quietly muttered a charm in that strange, exotic language known only to hunters. Immediately, Kaname's body jerked violently, bucking wildly against the straps holding him down.

The helpers turned out to be of no use. They weren't able to hold down the pureblood for even the first two minutes. Kuran Kaname might have only been a single vampire, but he was still a pureblood from a very old and powerful line to their defence, and he was able to shake his holders off with just a few jerks.

"Damn it!"

Kaname's body was jerking shakily as he tried to release the shackles and buckles of the straps with the brute force of an angered beast. He was groaning and growling like a wounded animal in his attempt to curl into a tight ball.

Zero knew that the straps, even strengthened with charms, wouldn't be able to contain the stupid vampire prince for long.

_He's going to die if the liquid travelled any faster. Che, what a troublesome bastard._Zero gritted his teeth, his lips pulled into a tight frown, curing the very existence of this troublesome vampire.

He saw no way except for using _that_ in order to subdue the trashing vampire. He hadn't thought about the risks of revealing more secrets than he'd like when he accepted this task. Well, no point in lamenting over spilled blood. Zero inhaled sharply and glared at the brown haired male, as if blaming him for putting him where he was now.

Behind his lids, his eyes bleed and give way to bright red and a surge of power gathered around the two vampires.

Vines, thin but deceptively strong and deadly, shot up from the earth, breaking through marbles and carpets, and encircled Zero and Kaname like a green whirlwind before they scattered like pitching snakes and grabbed hold of Kaname's wrists and ankles, binding them against the ground with immovable grip, effectively ceasing the trashing.

Kureha's blue eyes widened as he saw the impressive display of the Hiou's technique first hand. The four helpers had backed away the moment Zero unleashed his vines, but watched cautiously as Zero snaked to straddle Kaname's stomach and lowered his head, pressing his mouth against Kaname's and forced the his blood down the pureblood's throat.

In another occasion, it would've made a rather erotic picture: the suggestive position Zero had situated the two of them and scent of mingled blood. The act of drawing blood was as sensual as sexual consummation to vampires. Zero pulled away, only to draw another mouthful of blood and repeated the action. He did it three more times before he pulled away completely, looking several shades paler and distinctively more exhausted than five minutes ago.

Kaname's trashing slowly calmed to a point where he stopped altogether, his chest rising and dropping in regulated rhythm. Apparently, the pureblood had fallen into a peaceful, though not exactly painless sleep. Or a state that resembled sleep at least, Kureha thought with immense relief.

Zero calmly used the end sleeve of his now ruined yukata to wipe the blood dribbling down the side of his mouth to his chin.

"He'll live."

The loss of blood, energy, and the excessive concentration were beginning to take a heavy toll on Zero's body. The exhaustion managed to overcome most of the inconvenient surge of vicious thirst and sexual arousal which always occurred after sessions like that, not that he had much trouble suppressing it. His system would simply shut down and sleep would claim him, whether he wanted it or not. If he was not careful, he would pass out standing. For the moment, only the awareness that they were still inside a vampire's territory, not a familiar habitat, was the only thing that kept him anchored to reality. Zero shut his eyes, willing tense muscles to relax and tried to converse some semblance of strength and control over his body.

"Zero-niisan?" Ichiru, bloodied though not as bad, approached Zero and asked worriedly. It was the first time Kureha had heard the younger one spoke since they got here and he was surprised. The voice, unlike the quiet voice of his brother, was sweet and gentle like that of a child's.

"I'm alright." Zero shook his head and smiled slightly at Ichiru. On a face so delicate and beautiful, the smile looked crooked, unused, and slightly out of place, Kureha thought, as if his facial muscles hadn't known how to form a smile properly.

Ichiru looked unconvinced but decided to let it slide as he showed Zero a vial containing a strange, almost translucent liquid before muttering something for Zero's ears only.

As the siblings spoke in low voices in the corner, Kureha remembered that so many hours had passed since they stepped into the room and he was sure that those who waited behind the doors had been pulling their hair in worry. He hurried out to inform Haruka and Juuri, too tired to prevent them from entering the room and saw the still bound though lax form of Kaname. The vines were limp now, but it was quite obvious what purpose had it served before.

"Y-you… you have the Hiou's…"

It was Juuri who spoke in quiet stammer in the stunned silence. Staring at the healer with a pair of expressively startled eyes, she could feel her pale face taking its colour into an even lighter one. Juuri was not the only one astounded by this unexpected revelation, as others in the room mimicked their lady's surprise with various levels of reaction.

Zero fought the urge to roll his eyes. Naturally, even though he despised the fact of it, he carried the blood of Hiou Shizuka. The blood of that vile monster was the thing that sustained his insanity from falling to Level E, and Zero could feel how the blood of one woman he detested the most was alive, hot, and clawing as it coursed through his veins like malignant venom. She was the one who turned him and Ichiru after all. But considering how she had injected her blood directly into his system, it was a little wonder how he came to possess the Hiou's bloodline instead even if it was by proxy.

Zero curtly nodded; raising the vial of clear silvery substance that Ichiru had extracted from the diluted blood and inspected it with narrowed eyes. Definitely, he was sure now, someone was being a very naughty vampire. He had been suspicious and told Ichiru as such. His younger brother had confirmed his theory.

Only Hunters would know how to make proper liquid silver, because most of the main ingredients were lethal to most vampires and the process was a delicate, complicated thing with plenty of seals and charms. But this unconcentrated substance was produced with an alloy almost similar to silver, perhaps nickel silver or alpaca, something that could be easily found in eastern district, which heavily populated by nobles.

It was one of the reasons why the poison had failed its purpose to take away the pureblood's life, as it was of a weaker substance against a stronger blood. A pureblood's life was precious, as they were rare and very few. An attempt of their life warranted death sentence.

How amusing, there was a traitor in the midst of the noble bastards. Zero had always thought that they were a bunch of retards in the face of a pureblood's Thrall and Compulsion, seeing how they worshipped the very ground a pureblood walked. Apparently, that was not the case.

Zero decided to keep this fact to himself for now. For one thing, it wasn't his problem. Secondly, he didn't have any proof. For all he knew, he could be accused as the one who provided the supposed traitor with the poison, as he was the only one capable of doing so within miles. Zero was abruptly pulled out of his musings when a soft, feminine voice broke his trains of thoughts. He turned around and was met with the sight of a dishevelled Kuran Juuri, who was worrying her lower lip.

"Will…" Juuri spoke hesitantly, shooting worried glances to her son's direction. "Will he be alright now?"

Zero slipped the vial out of sight and gave another curt nod. "He should be fine in a few days. He needs a lot of rest, water, and…" Zero abruptly paused in his speech. He had wanted to say 'liquefied food', but then he remembered _what_ they were and what they ate on daily basis.

_Right… how can I forget that?_ Zero thought sarcastically and schooled his outer expression to its previous impassive state and continued with a bland tone, "Rest, _proper __nourishments__. _No strenuous activities and _no_ physical strains, and change his bandage twice a day after each bath-" He was halted abruptly when Juuri threw herself at him.

"… you, thank you, thank you…" Juuri chanted mindlessly, her voice shaking with emotions and uncontrolled sobs, as she pulled the pale, slightly taller boy against her own body and cried in relief at the crook of his neck, much to the surprise of the boy himself, and to the scandalous terror of the nobles.

Zero, unused to physical contact with strangers, stiffened under her touch. By all means, he should push her away for several good reasons. She was a vampire, a pureblood on top of it all, and _he_ was never much of a touchy-feely person in his life. But, unlike Hiou Shizuka, her body was almost… warm. Pressed against him, her gentle weight and her flesh felt real, not cool and airily light like most vampires. For an instance, Zero was almost reminded the sensation of holding a living, breathing _human__._

But she was not a human, he reminded himself again. Zero didn't return the embrace, but he didn't push her away either. He simply waited for Juuri to calm and allowed her to spill her pent-up frustration for the last six hours onto him.

When Juuri finally calmed down, she pulled away with a slight hint of blush staining the delicate bridge of her nose.

Zero gazed at her for two full seconds before turning to Haruka. "If there's nothing else, we will be taking our leave now. Please excuse us," With a curt bow that did not suggest any respect, he pulled his brother by the hand and led Ichiru to the door before Haruka or Kureha had a chance to stop them. He needed to breathe an air free of vampire, now.

The vampires immediately gave a wide berth, eyeing him with varied expressions. But rather than the usual contempt and disdain, they looked more curious and wary of him. Much to his surprise, some even stared at him with reluctant respect and thinly guised astonishment.

He caught the eyes of Ichijou Takuma, who was waving and smiling warmly at him from his place beside a lanky, sleepy-faced redhead. He eyed the blond haired vampire unsurely before nodding once, not knowing what to make out of the eccentric, friendly vampire that was unlike the other, before he walked out of the mansion with Ichiru in tow.

Zero didn't realize amongst those who watched him, a particular pair of deeply intrigued, calculating eyes-one blue and another red, vicious and eerie-belonging to an unsuspected watcher from the shadow, was following them with a look that of a predator, a hunter, staring at its prey.

* * *

**End's Note :** So, what do you think? It's a little awkward here, but I'm trying to improve. If the response is good, I'll update within this week. The first two chapters was greatly inspired and might be influenced by an Itachi/femme!Naruto fic, _Isane_ by adrien skywalker, but only some parts of it for the first two chapters.


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